Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 21: In connection with the murder of RTI activist, Vinayak Baliga, the state high court has cancelled the appointment of N Ravindranath Kamath, who was the special public prosecutor in the case.

Vinayak Baliga was killed near Kodialbail here in the year 2016. The personnel of Barke police station in the city had arrested three persons including Naresh M Shenoy, who is an entrepreneur and identified as the prime accused. On November 21, 2016, advocate, Ravindranathi Kamath, had been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the case.

Naresh Shenoy had questioned this appointment. He argued that Ravindranath Kamath had functioned as an advocate of the deceased person and after his death, had served as the advocate for his father, Ramachandra Baliga, and sister, Anuradha Baliga. He also pointed out that Kamath had conducted press conferences a number of times on behalf of the family of the deceased.

Advocate representing the prosecution had accused the petitioner of making frivolous objections with the purpose of delaying the hearing.

The bench headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna commented that the justified hearing need not always be in favour of the aggrieved. It should do justice also to the accused, it added, when cancelling the said appointment.